Grand Prix

A Grand Prix, frequently abbreviated GP, is a type of DCI-sanctioned Magic: The Gathering tournament. Grand Prix events are open to all players, with no need to qualify for the event, unlike a Pro Tour event.[1][2] As a result, these tournaments have the largest turnouts of any Magic tournaments.

Grand Prix events are split into two days, with the top players advancing to Day 2 and a final single elimination top eight playoff taking place at the end of Day 2.

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In October 2018, it was announced that Grand Prix weekends would be getting a new look and a new name: MagicFest. These weekends play host to the Grand Prix main event but also include side events, artists, panels, qualifying tournaments, etc. Each Mythic Championship will be hosted at a MagicFest.[3] The main tournament is still called a Grand Prix.

As of 2018, 8 rounds of Swiss are played on the first day of competition (9 for individual Limited events). In order to advance to the second day (including the ninth round of individual Limited events, which take place on the first day), players need to have at least 18 match points (a 6–2 record) after round 8. After the cut, 7 more rounds are played (6 for team events), followed by a top eight playoff (top four for team events).[4] In the past, Grand Prix had rounds according to the size of the event; individual Grand Prix events had 11 to 17 rounds of Swiss, but present-day individual events have 15 rounds regardless of size, while team events have 14.

Grand Prix events' prize purse depends on the size of the tournament, with a minimum of $50,000.[6] Starting in 2016, the winner of individual Grand Prix earns $10,000.[7][8]

Attendance

Individual GP

Team GP

Up to 2,999

$50,000

$60,000

3,000+

$75,000

$84,000

The prize money is distributed as follows:

Grand Prix prize money distribution

Place (individual)

Prize

Place (team)

Prize (per team)

1

$10,000

1

$15,000

2

$5,000

2

$7,500

3–4

$2,500

3–4

$3,750

5–8

$1,500

5–8

$2,100

9–16

$1,000

9–12

$1,800

17–32

$500

13–16

$1,500

33–64

$250

17–20

$1,200

65–100 (only if 3,000+ players)

$250

21–24

$900

101–180 (only if 3,000+ players)

$200

25–30 (only if 3,000+ players)

$900

31–42 (only if 3,000+ players)

$750

43–58 (only if 3,000+ players)

$600

For individual Grand Prix events, players with 30 or more match points (equal to a 10–5 record) earn Pro Points. At team Grand Prix events, teams with 30 or more match points (a 10–4 record) get Pro Points.[6]

Individual Grand Prix Pro Point payout:

Finish

Pro Points

1st

8

2nd

6

Top 4

5

Top 8

4

39+ points

4

36–38 points

3

33–35 points

2

30–32 points

1

Team Grand Prix Pro Point payout:

Finish

Pro Points

1st

6

2nd

5

Top 4

4

34+ points

4

33 points

3

31–32 points

2

30 points

1

Additionally, the top finishers at Grand Prix events qualify for the Pro Tour it feeds. All players reached to single elimination stage receive an invitation. Additionally, for individual Grand Prix, all players with 39 or more match points (a 13–2 record) win an invitation; for team Grand Prix, players on teams with 36 or more match points (a 12–2 record) receive invitations. Starting with the 2015–16 season, all invited players will get free airfare regardless of the way they qualified.

It is possible to earn free wins (byes) at individual Grand Prix events by fulfilling various requirements. Byes are awarded at the start of the first day of competition; a player with three byes gets an automatic win in the first three rounds of a Grand Prix.

The requirements for byes are as follows:

One bye:

Have 1,300 Yearly Planeswalker Points (current season or previous season)

Two byes:

Have 2,250 Yearly Planeswalker Points (current season or previous season)

Previously, winning a Grand Prix Trial or having a sufficient number of Planeswalker Points (or a high enough DCI Rating, prior to 2012) could make a player earn three byes; however, the requirement for three byes has been tightened, as Wizards found the number of three-round byes awarded to be detrimental to tournament play.[10]

Grand Prix Trials, or GPTs, are tournaments associated with a particular Grand Prix, often using the same format. Winning a GPT will give a player two byes (previously three) for the Grand Prix it feeds. Until Grand Prix Las Vegas 2017, GPTs were held locally around the world, and at the Grand Prix itself; current GPTs are held on the day before the main event (the Friday), and are 32-player single elimination tournaments.

Between 2015 and 2017, the Super Sunday Series was the main Side Event of the Grand Prix. Each Grand Prix hosted a Super Sunday Series event on Sunday, the final day of the GP weekend. The winner at the end of this big tournament would receive a trip to Seattle, Washington where they would battle other Super Sunday Series winners for the title of champion and their share of a $20,000 prize pool.[11][12][13]

The largest Grand Prix tournament of all time was GP Las Vegas 2015 (Modern Masters 2015Limited), with 7,551 players. However, this event was split into two Grand Prix; if these are counted as separate events, the largest Grand Prix was GP Las Vegas 2013 (Modern MastersLimited), with 4,500 players.

The only player who has finished a Grand Prix with a perfect record (no draws or losses) is China's Gan Yan, who finished the Swiss portion of the Standard GP Seattle 2018 15–0, and then proceeded to win the event.[14]

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